Hinduism Flashcards
Module 7
Aryans meaning
“Noble people” in Sanskrit
Migrated to India 1800-1500 BCE
When did the Indo-Aryan migration take place?
1800 to 1500 BCE
Who is Purusha?
In the Rig Veda, Purusha is a primordial being who was sacrificed by the gods so all life forms including humans could be created. Each different body part of Purusha became the different varnas (castes)
Cosmogonic Myth
Varnas and Purusha’s body parts
Mouth - Brahmins
Arms - Kshatriyas
Legs - Vaishyas
Feet - Shudras
The caste of Teachers and Priests
Brahmin
The caste of Rulers and Warriors
Kshatriya
The caste of Peasants and Merchants
Vaishya
The caste of ruling kings (a later addition to the system, the highest level)
Rajas
The caste of laborers, the lowest caste
Sudra
What is Karma?
Action, and the consequences of action
What is Moksha?
Liberation, the desired escape from samsara
What is Atman?
Eternal Self, true inner Self, a person’s soul
What is Samsara?
The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
What is Maya?
Illusion, the distorted view of the world
What is Dharma?
Duty, the duties of your caste/varna
What does Varna mean?
“color” in Sanskrit, meaning caste or class
What is Jiva?
the observable, material self, empirical self
What is Karma yoga?
A way of works, focused on following and completing your dharma
~ The code of Manu ~
What is Bhakti yoga?
A way of devotion, focused on worshipping the deities of Hinduism
~ The Mahabarata, Bhagavad Gita ~
What is Jnana yoga?
A way of knowledge, “the way of wisdom”
focus on studying Hindu philosophy and the relationship between Atman and Brahman
~ The Upanishads ~
What is Brahman?
- The ultimate reality of the world
- The holy power of prayer
- The stanzas of the Rig Veda
- Sacred knowledge, holy word, incantations
What is the ultimate reality of the world?
Brahman
What are the four Vedas?
- Rig Veda
- Sama Veda
- Yajurveda (Krishna and Shukla Yajurveda)
- Atharva Veda
What does Veda mean?
“knowledge” in Sanskrit
What is the Rig Veda?
- Oldest of the four Vedas
- Means “Hymn Knowledge”
- Contains ten mandalas (books) of 1,028 Vedic Sanskrit hymns
What are the Upanishads?
- Means “to sit nearby” in Sanskrit
- Texts regarding meditations, philosophy, and spiritual knowledge
- Knowledge intended to be shared, passed down, and practiced with others
- New sacred writings during the Axis Age
- Conclude each of the Vedas
- Emphasized the individual’s inner experience
What does Sannyasin mean?
Renunciant
Someone practicing asceticism, and the last stage of life for men in the Code of Manu
Law Code of Manu
A legal text from Ancient India that introduced many core concepts including:
- the caste system
- the basis for karma yoga
- the four stages of life for men (four asramas)
What are the four asramas? (stages of life in Code of Manu)
- Brahmacharya (student)
- Gṛhastha (householder)
- Vanaprastha (forest walker/forest dweller)
- Sannyasin (renunciate)
What does Sindhu mean and what words came from it?
Sindhu means “river” referring to the great Indus River
These words:
- India
- Hindu (Hinduism)
Who was Ashoka?
3rd King of Mauryan Empire
262 BC (3rd century BC)
- controlled most of the Indian peninsula
- converted to Buddhism after a bloody battle
- sent missionaries out as far as Greece to spread Buddhism
What is significant about the Harappan Civilization?
- Was an important agrarian center
- Religious symbols found at Harappa still appear in modern Indian culture
What is the Trimurti?
“three forms”
- Brahma, the creator
- Vishnu, the preserver
-Shiva, the destroyer
